Escape with me
by Kadaj
Summary: Lyra always was attracted to Lance, and Proton was always there to ruin it every time. But who knew that the best place for her to be was in the arms of an ex-Rocket instead?
1. Chapter 1

AN: This story takes place several years after Lyra became Champion. Bear in mind that this Lyra was sixteen during the events of HGSS, and is now 19 after being Champion since then.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

She circled once, examining her dress with a bitter smile. The blue silk clung to her body like a second skin, ending in a mermaid type bottom that flared out gracefully. She cautiously pulled on the one strap crossing her shoulder, fingers brushing the soft flowers. Her hands drifted to her hair, pulling on the two bands. She sucked in a deep breath and pulled it free, letting her tresses fall to her shoulders. Her smile became less bitter. She may not be that girly, but it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. Her hair felt loose and free from her normal pigtails; she had long since abandoned that goofy hat of hers.

Lyra glanced over her shoulder as the pitter-patter of her Houndoom echoed down the hallway of the ship cabin. Shadow strolled in, stopping in his tracks as he caught sight of his master. The Pokemon's body language was pleasing, but it did little to ease her butterflies; she chewed her lap, turning her back to him once more. Her Houndoom let out a small growl, crouching down and looking at her as if saying: 'You got this shit now shut up and go look pretty.'

* * *

They walked down the hallway slowly, the nineteen year old's thoughts buzzing. She normally didn't wear clothing like this; she preferred sneakers and shorts. But a champion from Hoenn had been initiated the other day, so the league was doing what they were always doing…partying it up on a cruise. The first night was the introduction ball. She was of course required to go, being the champion of Johto and all. She often wished she wasn't, though. She missed the days of traveling freely; now she was basically at their beck and call and stuck with all these duties. The one good thing was the constant flux of battles she had with hoping trainers, but even then those were becoming stale.

At least Lance would be there. She tried to stop herself from smiling. She had come across Lance countless times during her journey, and in the process, developed a very large-scale crush on the former champion. Defeating him was the most important part in her life; when he had given her that proud look, her heart had soared. And then one night after the championship, they had finally gotten to just sit down and talk. She thought the night was going to go amazingly…that is until…

At this, Lyra let out a scream and kicked the wall harshly; Shadow stared at her blankly. The Pokemon had learned to ignore his master's constant mood swings long before.

That night would've been amazing if that goddamn Rocket hadn't come across them. She remembered his snarky face quite clearly after she had peered into the water below them and he had effortlessly pulled her in and under with him; in the process, her outfit was ruined, makeup smeared, and self-confidence plummeted.

Lyra had encountered Team Rocket quite a bit during her journey, defeating them every time and saving Johto. However, the one thing that stuck out from her was one in particular, a green haired executive who seemed to always find her every time. His face was never angry; he looked like he was simply having a ball picking on her when they would meet. Lyra would get so angry and agitated; he would laugh and laugh. All in all, she had never really considered Proton that big of an enemy, more like a rival or so. But still…that night in the forest put a new perspective on things.

She grabbed her chest. Her heart started to pound like it had that night he had pulled her in. Lance had finally had a moment to spare, and the two had gone to Lake Rage; it was gorgeous at night. They were sitting on a short incline over the water, just watching the stars, when she had heard a strange noise in the water. She had leaned over to look, and that asshole pulled her in.

That night as he pulled her under water, he captured her lips with his, all the while Lance stood in the background, flabbergasted as to what had just occurred. After a few seconds, Lance had grabbed into the water blindly, grabbing a hold of her arm and pulling her back up. Though she thought that Proton had just done it to be an ass; he saw a moment and wanted to ruin it. But at the same time…what had she felt when he had pulled her under and pressed his lips softly to hers? Lance hadn't seen under the water but…

She had kissed him back.

Lyra shook her head fiercely; she had stopped walking for a minute and Shadow had been nudging her arm. She frowned; she had been dumb and probably just lonely. That had to have been the only reason, right? She shook her head again to clear her thoughts.

"Sorry…" she muttered and started to move forward, when she had realized they were right in front of the ballroom doors. Staring bashfully at the entrance men, they merely smiled and opened the doors wide for her. Carefully, she stepped through, her senses immediately being captured by the many scents and noises present in the lavish room. Hundreds of trainers dressed as fancy as she littered the room, some dancing, some eating, some talking. Across the room she saw Ethan; she gave him a wave that he returned, then went back to talking to his companion. Lyra slowly started forward, weeding through the many guests and making for a small abandoned corner.

"L-Lyra?" She looked up at her name, locking eyes with the young red haired man. Lance's face was lightly tinted crimson; she reddened to the color of his flaming bright hair. He cleared his throat nervously, adjusting his bow tie. He looked stunning in a black tux; Lyra couldn't stop staring. His voice broke her out of her thoughts. "You look...amazing…" Her face was on fire now; she shifted her eyes to the floor. Lyra hadn't dated much, so when it came to stuff like this, she was a total sap.

"Thanks Lance. You do too," she said quietly; from the corner of her eyes she saw Shadow roll his eyes and trot off. Lance opened his mouth to say something else, but was suddenly cut off.

"Hey Lance! Get over here, the new champion wants to meet you!" yelled Will across the room. He was standing next to a bashful young girl, a few years younger than Lyra who was staring directly at Lance. Lyra's irritation level went up a notch. Figures she would dig him, who wouldn't? His hand suddenly grabbed onto both of hers and he looked apologetically into her eyes.

"I promise I'll be back in a bit, ok? League duties," he winked before spinning on his heel and heading in their direction. Lyra sighed, turning away from the retreating figure to head towards the balcony; soft, romantic music started to play and she inwardly groaned. Lance was going to ask her to dance and that dumb kid ruined it. It didn't surprise her though; getting Lance alone for a few seconds was like trying to evolve an Eevee into an Espeon at night.

Lyra moved towards the door, but was stopped by a firm hand grasping onto her arm. She turned and gasped as her eyes locked with a pair of bright green orbs. She was met with that snarky look that was always present on his face, as he stepped back and looked her up and down.

"Well damn, Lyra. You clean up. I still prefer you in your shorts though," he winked at her as well, but this kind of wink was more scummy than Lance's. He ran a hand through his bright green hair, eyes drifting over every part of her body; she glared.

"Proton…why the hell are you here?" The ex-Rocket merely chuckled in response; he shoved his hands into his tux pockets.

"Why I'm here to ask you to dance," he said as matter-a-fact as he could. She rolled her eyes at him, crossing her arms in an attempt to try to block some of his view; he grinned at this again.

"You're a rocket, who invited you?"

"I invited myself, the best invitation you can get. And remember: I'm an ex-Rocket thanks to you. Now…" at this he grabbed her arm and pulled her close to his hard chest; her body heated, "dance with me." She snorted, very unladylike but to the point.

"No, I'm…waiting for someone," she faulted in her words, yelling at herself on the inside as she did. Instead of grinning like he normally did, Proton's grin fell and his eyes narrowed. He looked over his shoulder in the direction of Lance, and she followed it. Lance was standing over there, laughing and having a good old time with the new champion, hands on her waist, smiles on their faces; her stomach churned and her eyes burned. Proton's hand gently grasped the side of her face, turning her view back to him.

"Dance with me."

"No…"

"Dance with me."

"…" He took that as a yes, slipping his hand into hers and moving through the balcony doors; Lyra didn't have the energy to argue anymore. Off to the side, she caught Ethan's shocked expression; however, something changed his mood and his smile returned. Lyra hadn't even noticed they had made it outside until the wave of salt air hit her face, and roar of the ocean filled her ears. Proton pulled her close once more.

The music continued softly from inside, and the two started to sway. Well, Lyra attempted to. Proton was an excellent dancer, surprisingly. He moved her along with almost feline grace, dipping and twirling her around; she almost couldn't keep up, but then he would slow down so that she could. The sound of the waves rocked to the slow music; the scent of his cologne filled her senses. She laid her head against his chest, inhaling the smell deeply. It was a scent that was quite unforgettable. She raised her head once more, gazing into his sparkling eyes.

"Why are you here?" She suddenly asked as Proton spun her around, swiftly pulling her back into his arms effortlessly.

"To see you, babe." She was used to those blunt kinds of statements from him, but it still caught her off guard. Startled, she looked at him in confusion; all he did was grin at her with a slight lecherous expression, licking his lips.

"But…why? What if you get arrested?" He snorted.

"What would they arrest me for? I'm doing anything illegal; I am not even a part of a criminal organization anymore, doll," he chuckled, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze; her heart fluttered a tad. "Stop chasing him, Lyra." It was the first time he used her name in the night, and it brought shivers down her spine.

"You mean…Lance?"

"Of course I do," he said bitterly, scowling as he stared out into the deep blue sea. "Just stop. You'll only get hurt. He's a playing scumbag." Her anger sparked; she roughly pushed him back and stepped back herself. Who was the scumbag here?

"How do you know? You don't know-"

"-He's inside there with the new champion instead of you," she started to interject but he held up a bare hand, "All that was required of him was to say hi to her, Lyra. It's been twenty minutes. If he really wanted to, don't you think he would be out here and not feeling up another chick?"

Lyra didn't want to listen anymore. She grabbed her head and slammed her elbows down onto the balcony, pain shooting up her arms that did nothing to block out the pain from her chest. She stared painfully into the soft, calm waves. Why was it so damn quiet outside now?

"When I pulled you into the water that night, why did you kiss me back?"

Lyra said nothing.

"If you care about him so much, why did you kiss me, Lyra?" She was grabbed by behind and roughly turned around; her bare back pressed against the cool metal. She stared at him in silence as his face changed expressions several times before settling on one of confusion; she swallowed harshly, mouth dry as he grasped her shoulders tightly.

"It…I just…I wanted to," she finally blurted out, hands flying to her mouth as she did; her eyes stayed wide, face bright pink. His grip loosened, wordlessly staring at her in awe.

"…Lyra?" Lance's voice broke the silence; she had to raise herself up slightly to see over the tall ex-Rocket. Lance stood in the doorway, body language shooting out signs of awkwardness. Proton shot a look over his shoulder, and Lance's face contorted angrily as he recognized Proton. "What the hell are you doing here, you filthy Rocket?"

Proton rolled his eyes, deciding it wasn't worth it to correct Lance; he pulled his gaze back to the awkward Lyra. Without skipping a beat, he grasped her face between both of her hands, bent down, and captured her lips in his own. They were warm and soft, and after getting over the initial shock, Lyra found herself kissing him back once more; Lance slipped to the back of her mind, pushed away by a thousand other thoughts. All she could focus on now was the spiced taste of Proton invading her mouth, his feverish kiss warming her stomach with ease. All too soon he broke away, the two gasping for breath; her lungs filled with air once more.

"I came tonight because I love you," was all he said before he spun on his heel, pushing roughly past Lance and through the balcony doors. Lance stood stunned, as did Lyra; her fingers brushed her lips, her eyes the size of saucers.

Lance stood rooted to his spot. Face burning, Lyra returned to reality. She dropped her gaze to the floor and ran past him, holding her dress up as she dashed through the doors. Behind her, voices yelled for her to stop, but she refused, running through the ballroom doors and as far as away as she could.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Ty for the review :)

Chapter 2

Lyra's feet dangled off the edge of the ship, free of the uncomfortable heels for the time being. The salt air stung her wet cheeks; her tears had finally started to slow. Quietly, she kicked her feet back and forth, feeling like a child sitting in time out. Shadow's pokeball lay next to her; she had quickly recalled him before he could investigate why she was crying so hard. Memories floated in and out of her head.

So many times she had ran into Proton…how many times had he been in love with her? There was the underwater kiss, him saving her from that stampede of Tauros, the fight between him and Lance that she thought was merely an ego battle; it was just now that she was discovering it could've meant more than that. She sighed.

"I'm sorry…" Lyra jumped slightly as Lance's voice broke the silence. She said nothing as he crouched down and sat next to her, his feet dangling further off than hers were. Neither of them would look one another into the eyes. He spoke again. "My priorities aren't straight, I'm afraid to settle down with anyone, and I'm one of the busiest men you'll ever meet." At this he turned his head to look at Lyra; she refused to face him. "But I love you too."

Her heart stopped in her chest for the second time that night. She didn't want to hear it. It was hard enough being confused over one man, but to have the one thing she had craved for years finally offer himself to her…why was she not so sure anymore?

"Which one of us do you care about more?" She chewed her lip, playing with her pokegear in her lap. To be honest, not even she knew how to answer.

"I don't know, Lance. I…had no idea either of you even felt that way, to be honest." Lance's fingers found their way to her chin; gently, he turned her face to face him. She knew she probably looked like a wreck, so she lowered her eyes. He moved her chin up again so she would face him.

"Can I kiss you?"

"No…I'm too confused." Lance immediately let go of her chin, irritation sparking in his eyes. He ran a hand roughly through his red hair, gritting his teeth.

"You kissed him back twice! Not once, but twice!" at her shocked expression, he glared off to the side, "I could see you underwater that night." She looked away in shame, face burning again. "And no matter what, I will fight for you."

"P-Pardon?"

"I will show you that I am the better man.."

This just made things even more complicated than they already were. She was already confused enough, and having both men not back down was making things even worse than they were before. She had always had some kind of bond with Proton, and only now did she think about how deep that bond actually was. At the same time, she had always known she had a crush on Lance, but to hear it reciprocated was not something she was ready for.

She turned to Lance to express this confusion, but as she did, the ship rocked. Lance's arm shot out to steady her before she fell through; they exchanged looks of confusion as people started to scream and shout. The boat jerked once more; Lance quickly helped her up.

"W-What's going on?" she fearfully asked, holding on tightly to his arm. Lance shook his head.

"I have no idea, let's get to a more stable area!" With that the two took off running, Lyra's heels left behind on the deck. All around them, people continued to scream and yell, shoving past the champions forcefully. As they continued down the hallway, they kept hearing shouts about engine failure, and Lyra's stomach dropped. This was not good.

Some how she ended up in front of Lance in the narrow hallway, with him right on her tail. The walls shook and groaned…and all of a sudden the ground beneath her gave way. Lyra tried to dive for the other side, hands flailing but managing to grab onto a piece of the floor. She screamed.

"Please help Lance!" Lance was pulling out a pokeball when two warm hands grabbed her own and yanked her up. Lyra threw herself into the warm body that held her instantly, a familiar scent of cologne wafting against her nostrils. She let out a cry of relief as she gazed into the worried eyes of the ex-Rocket. He quickly looked across to the despaired Dragon Tamer.

"Head to the lifeboats!" was all he said before he grabbed her arm and started running. Lyra looked fearfully over her shoulder at Lance.

"Please hurry!" she shouted desperately. He only nodded and turned, running down the opposite hallway. Turning back, she and Proton dashed down the narrow hallway, avoiding falling chandeliers and pieces of plaster collapsing around their heads. Her heart was practically about to burst out her chest with every step she took, tripping over the floor length ball gown the whole time. Once more she stumbled, slamming into Proton's back with a grunt. He spun around and caught her, eyes wandering to her dress and sneering.

"You ladies and your outfits." Lyra let out a small squeal when he flicked a knife out, but settled as he crouched down and swiftly cut the dress to her knees. As he did so, his hand brushed pointedly up her thigh; her face burned, and she resisted the urge to kick him in the face. Proton swung back up, a large smirk on his face; figures he would still be a pervert in a time of crisis.

Closer and closer they reached the exit to the deck with the lifeboats, Lyra's hope rising. However, it quickly fell as she started to realize just how few lifeboats there actually were. People were screaming and panicking, shoving one another into the boats, squeezing into ones that looked like they would burst. Proton scowled, flicking his head to and fro. She looked around wildly as well, trying desperately to find a burst of red hair among the panicked guests. There was none to be found. She watched as Proton sprinted over to the railing, peering over thoughtfully; when he didn't move from that spot, Lyra's eyebrows narrowed.

"Proton…you're not seriously thinking-"

"What, afraid of a little water?" he teasingly asked; Lyra grimaced. Lance still hadn't made it to the deck; she wasn't going to leave without him…not after what all had just transpired in the past few hours.

"We need to wait for Lance anyways, then we can all-AH!" Lyra stumbled as the boat creaked, people shrieking as pieces of the deck started to crumble; a door behind them burst into flames. Proton shot her a look over his shoulder.

"There's no time Lyra, we need to get off now before this thing explodes." She shook her head violently, her stubborn streak finally breaking free after such an emotional night.

"N-No! I can't!" With a growl, Proton quickly turned on his heel and grabbed her, dragging her to the railing even as she kicked and screamed. Her heart raced as he nonchalantly dropped her over the edge, screaming until she hit the water. It felt like glass slicing her skin, the temperature unbearably cold. For a minute she stood motionless in the water, until the realization hit her. She started to panic, attempting to kick her feet to and fro to try to hit the surface. However, she found she couldn't. Looking down, it was only then that she noticed that in her panic she had somehow managed to shove her foot in between two large rocks, and it wasn't going anywhere.

Lungs burning, she bent down, trying in vain to move the huge boulders. Her panic attacks started to set in even more, head spinning as her oxygen slowly decreased. Proton swam quickly into her view, immediately trying to move the rocks. He heaved and heaved, but they wouldn't budge. Quickly, he threw a pokeball, releasing a Mightyena that she had never seen before. Pointing at the rock, the Mightyena opened his mouth wide, releasing what could only be a bright, illuminating Hyper Beam. It destroyed one of the rocks with ease, and Proton quickly recalled it, grabbing her and starting to kick upwards.

As her vision swam closer to darkness, the thought that maybe she should've brought more than three Pokemon vaguely crossed her mind. Soon enough, her lungs exploded and the taste of salty air filled her mouth. She gasped and panted, eyes burning with the salty water that had invaded them. She felt utmost relief, clinging tightly to Proton and taking in every breath that she could.

She finally looked up at Proton, who had been watching her with interest. She gave him a small smile; he quickly turned and looked off to the side. Suddenly, he was ripped from her grasp and pulled under the surface. Lyra let out a cry, diving under the water and searching frantically. And there was Proton, staring face on into a huge pack of wild Gyarados, all waiting behind her, fangs bared. Lyra screamed under the water, bubbles bursting from her lips, sound muted. Proton quickly grabbed her, and the two started to frantically paddle away.

There was no way they were going to make it…that is until one Gyarados swam next to them, and a hand was held out to her that she quickly grasped. Clinging to the Dragon Master, she cried a sigh of relief. Proton quickly hopped on behind her, and Gyarados took off, with at least fifty others following him, hungry for dinner.

"Can't he go any faster?" Lyra yelled panicking, looking over her shoulder as the waves rocked and turned. She felt Lance tense in front of her. Maybe that hadn't been the best thing to ask.

"He's trying Lyra, he's trying." She felt Proton's arms tighten around her waist; he let out a small, sharp burst of air.

"Hold on! There's an island up ahead!" Lance interrupted; Lyra inwardly let out a sigh of relief. The trees came into view, a white beach island not too far from them. But the roar of the Pokemon grew closer, as did Lyra's fear. She held her head down, covering her eyes from the view; she couldn't watch.

All too soon they were skidding across the sand, the pack of Gyarados roaring angrily from the water, furious their food had escaped. Lance quickly recalled his own after everyone had jumped off, silently thanking him with great gratitude she imagined. Lyra collapsed on the sand, staring blankly at the roaring sea. Proton fell down next to her, sighing.

"Welcome to paradise, babe."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The sun beat down on her bareback as she struggled to pull a large palm frond across the hot sand. Wiping her head with the back of her hand, she sighed, and fell to her knees, her dress still cumbersome. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, she picked up the end of it and glared. The material was way too hot out in this heat.

"You may want to get rid of that." Instantly, she shot a glare at Proton as he plopped down with a sigh, sweat pouring down his bare back. Lyra quickly averted her eyes, face burning slightly; though he wasn't the buffest man, his musculature was lean and smooth, ripples of muscle peeking under his pale skin. Vaguely, she wondered what it would be like to be under…

Lyra shot up with a cry, clambering to her feet and moving far away from Proton; the whole while, he watched Lyra with a bemused expression. Chuckling, he shook his head and flicked out a knife; Lyra stared at him warily.

"C'mere."

"…Right." Proton rolled his eyes, shooting out his arm and snatching Lyra, pulling her back down. She let out a cry as her bottom hit the warm sand, trying to pull away from the Rocket.

"Calm down Lyra, I'm cutting your dress shorter so you won't pass out from heat exhaustion. Unless you want to get naked," he growled as he held her still; Lyra calmed down for a split second, which was more than what he needed to slice the dress about three inches shorter. She let out an angry yell.

"This was a gift from Whitney! Why would you ruin it even more than you already did?" she yelled at him as her eyes blazed, shoving him away onto the hot sand. Proton smirked slightly, eyes roaming her exposed legs.

"Eh, looks better this way anyways," he winked. Lyra rolled her eyes, spinning angrily on her heel and stomping away from the man. She heard him laughing as she did so, making her irritation spike even more. Sighing, she stumbled over to Lance, dropping down next to the champion. He was shirtless as well…she looked away, embarrassment once again creeping up her face; she really needed to get used to this.

"Uh…you ok Lyra?" he asked in concern, pausing in his process of threading some palms together. Lance was in charge of constructing the shelter; she and Proton were put with the task of gathering the palms. They had been working for what had seemed like hours now, the sun wouldn't start to go down for probably another few hours. She finally turned to him, frowning deeply; Lance quickly turned away. "Um…your dress…got really short." Lyra blinked for a minute, before the realization sunk in. Blushing angrily, she tugged it down.

"Yeah, blame Proton," she muttered pulling her legs together and crossing them so her panties were safely hidden from sight. Goddammit Proton, she though angrily, staring off into the water. Silently, she wished that she had brought Ace with her. The Pidgeot would be more than enough to get all three off the island. Sadly, she hadn't, and Lance's Gyarados stood no chance against the horde. Blinking, she looked at Lance who was steadily working on the palms. "What about your Dragonite?"

"With Claire," he muttered despondingly. "He was really tired from all the battling; I wanted to give him a chance to breathe for once. What a stupid move," he muttered even lower. Lyra frowned, placing a caring hand on his bare shoulder. A slight quiver seemed to rumble underneath his skin, but she ignored it.

"It wasn't stupid. I did the same thing with Ace."

"I've almost got a small shelter ready," he said, quickly changing the subject. Lyra stared upwards, eyes roaming at the palms laid out above them. It was quaint and small, but it would do the job until they could figure out an alternate way off the island. Their pokegears were out of the question; they weren't getting any reception. Sighing, she dug her toes in the sand, mindlessly building miniature hills out of the earth. There was one thing on her mind, still, however.

"Lance, what you said-" Lyra was cut off as a stack of palms as dropped unceremoniously at her feet. She refused to look Proton in the eyes as he stood to her side; she knew he was grinning and for some reason that just boiled her blood…but at the same time it excited her.

"Thanks," Lance muttered, also refusing to look Proton in his eyes. She heard Proton sigh before once again, sitting down next to Lyra. She was stuck; moving to the left would plant her in Lance's lap and moving to the right would put her right in Proton's. He was testing her. Stubbornly, she did not budge, instead pulling her legs closer.

"Sun should be going down in a few hours." No one responded to Proton; he laughed. "Man, you two sure are a bundle of energy. Of course, I know what kind of spit fire you can really be, Lyra," he winked, gaze falling to the Lance as he did so. He was referring to that night on the water, that son of a bitch. Lyra glanced at Lance out of the corner of her eyes; his teeth were gritted tightly, hands moving quickly to string together the palms. Proton started to string his own, humming as he did so.

"Hey Lyra, remember that night at the Lake of Rage? When I pulled you underwater and kissed-" Proton went down as Lance's fist connected with his face. Clearly, Lance wasn't going to let him finish his little story. Lyra screamed, trying to pull Lance off of a struggling Proton. As much of an asshole as he could be, there was still no reason to be fighting. Strenuously, she pulled and pulled, trying desperately to separate the screaming men. She fell back as Lance jerked away, landing roughly on her bottom. Wincing, she rubbed her ass.

"STOP IT!" she finally screamed, grabbing her head and shutting her eyes tightly. Surprisingly enough, the two went silent. Without a word, Lance got off of Proton, sat back down in his original spot, and resumed his work. Panting, Proton sat up, wiping blood from his mouth. He glared at the champion, fist curling in the sand. Lyra moved quickly, gently covering his fist with her own hand. He turned to look at her; she merely shook her head. At this point, she was more concerned about keeping the two from killing each other rather than escape the island.

Night soon fell. Lyra could not sleep. She was freezing. The men on either side of her were passed out, clearly not bothered by the cold in their formal attire. Shuddering, she rubbed her arms, trying in desperation to keep warm. Sighing, she opened her eyes, staring up at the palm leaves hanging above her. All of a sudden, warmth replaced the cold air and two arms encircled her waist. She turned her head quickly, only to meet the tired green eyes of the ex Rocket. His coat was draped over her body, his arms holding her close to his chest. She moved to react, but Proton merely shushed her, pulling her closer.

"What are you doing?" she whispered harshly. Proton rolled his eyes, clearly not caring if Lance heard or not.

"Keeping you warm, you idiot. You're going to freeze out here."

"You're the one who cut my dress!" A grin broke across his face. "You…son of a bitch. You did it for that reason?" she whispered venomously, blushing wildly. Proton merely chuckled, hands gently running through her hair.

"Yes, but hasn't this night gotten so much better now?"

"No!" And with that she pushed away the green haired man, ripping off his coat and stomping away from him once again. Her bare feet crunched in the sand, the cold wind ripping through her loose hair. How dare he! How could he think he's allowed to do that? She only liked Lance, and only him! Lance! Yelling in frustration, she bent down and chunked the large shell out into the water, watching it go down with a plop. What…what gave him the right to make her feel like…

A hand encircled hers. She knew whose it was without even looking up. He said nothing, merely staring out into the sea with her.

"What makes you think we could work? What makes you think I would even let you?" she finally asked, slight despair ringing in her voice. Proton's hand tensed in her own.

"Because even though I don't deserve you, you accepted me anyways, even during the bad times." Memories flashed through her head: that night at Lake of Rage, him trying to stop her at the Radio Tower to save her, the kiss on the boat…

"I'm not some perfect angel," she mumbled lowly. Proton's hand found his way to her chin, slowly turning her face towards him. His face was full of so much conflicted emotion, she almost had to look away.

"But Lyra…you are." Instead of trying to kiss her like she thought he would, he merely pulled her close, holding her tightly against him. She was tired; she didn't want to refuse anymore. It was too stressful. She was tired of going against all that she felt…she…loved…

Lyra screamed as the ground below her started to shake. Squeezing her eyes shut, she let out a blood-curdling scream as the ground beneath gave way and swallowed them.


End file.
